A Modern Landfill Today’s landfills are very different from the dumps of the past. The landfills are lined with layers of clay or plastic to keep any liquid waste from escaping into the soil. A network of drains collects the liquid and pumps it to the surface where it can be treated. Wells are drilled around the landfill to check the groundwater and make sure it is clean. At the end of each day, workers spread a layer of earth—called the daily cover—over the trash to reduce odor and control pests.
Methane Gas Recovery System Trash
Leachate Treatment System
Clay Cap
Well to Monitor Ground Water
Landfill Liner Leachate Collection System
Aquifer
A Full Landfill When an entire landfill is full, workers seal the whole landfill with a final cover of clay and dirt, and then seed the area with native grasses. Workers continue to check the wells for years after a landfill is closed to make sure nothing is leaking into the water. Closed landfills can be turned into parks, parking lots, golf courses, and ski slopes. Building homes and businesses on landfills isn’t allowed, though, since it can take many years for the ground to settle.
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